Miniature Armadillo Lizard on a Flying Broomstick Figure

A charming little figure of a golden armadillo lizard hitching a ride on a witch's broomstick. It has a curled red handle and a dark bristled brush, and the lizard clings on with its spiky tail wrapped beneath. A clear acrylic stand holds it up, so the whole scene seems to float in mid-air. The sculpt is full of detail, from the rows of square scales down its back to its beady eye and tiny gripping claws. It is most likely from Yell's Japanese capsule toy series of animals flying on broomsticks. That series has five figures: a cat, an owl, a pig, a hamster and this armadillo lizard, each about 6 cm long.

The real armadillo girdled lizard is found only in South Africa, and its scientific name, Ouroborus cataphractus, nods to the ancient symbol of a serpent eating its own tail. That is exactly how it defends itself: when frightened, it rolls into a ball and grips its tail in its mouth. Its thick, square scales and spiny tail then face outward, protecting its soft belly from predators.